Bar someone from your venue

A person can be barred from a licenced venue for their own safety or the wellbeing of others.

Liquor licensee responsibilities

You can bar someone from your licensed venue if:

they behave in an offensive or disorderly way

they commit an offence

a manager or employee believes they may hurt themselves or their family because of drinking too much alcohol

they ask to be barred

there is any other reasonable cause.

SA Police can bar someone for 72 hours for committing an offence or for disorderly or offensive behaviour in or around licensed premises.

Barring orders

Barring orders made by a licence holder:

must be in writing

must be either:

served personally

posted to the person's last known address, fax or email address

can last for three or six months, or indefinitely, depending on whether it is the first, second or third time.

To bar someone for more than six months you must put the words ‘or such longer period as may be approved by the Commissioner’ on the application.

You or the police can bar someone indefinitely if they have already been barred twice before, or if you think they might hurt themselves or their family because of drinking too much alcohol.

Voluntary barring

If a customer asks to be barred, you must fill out the form while the person is with you (in person or on the phone). You must provide a translator if necessary.

Anyone who asks to be barred must be referred to a counselling service and removed from any loyalty mailing lists.

Entering a venue when barred

Anyone who breaks a barring order is guilty of an offence and can be fined up to $2,500. Any licence holder, manger or employee who allows a barred person to enter the venue is also guilty of an offence and can be fined up to $10,000.

You or one of your employees must ask the banned person to leave the area or remove the person from the premises using reasonable force if necessary.